Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	ancient_a	church_n	doctrine_n	1,896	5	6.2759	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29362	A sermon preached before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, aldermen, and citizens of London, at the Church of S. Mary le Bow, the fifth of November, 1684 by Francis Bridge ...	Bridge, Francis, d. 1688.	1685 (1685)	Wing B4444; ESTC R3795	12,825	36

prays that he would take from them their Instruments of Cruelty that he would asswage their malice and confound their devices deprive them of the opportunities to do mischief by restraining their wrath and diminishing their Power by keeping them as he doth the Devil 2 Pet. 2.4 in Chains of darkness to be reserved unto Judgment This is comprised Verse 6. Break their teeth O God in their mouth break out the great teeth of the young Lions O Lord c. And happy is it for us that God will hear such Petitions that he will grant us Security against the subtle and undermining Adversaries of his Truth whose delight is in mischief who take great pains compass Sea and Land run to and fro over the whole Earth under pretence of making Proselytes but in reality seeking whom they may devour My Text I account the third part of the Psalm wherein is described the good Man's behaviour in such times of Vengeance as are here specified he will rejoyce that God hath vindicated his Honour and secured his Truth that the Dispensations of his Providence are not now so liable to the Cavils and Calumnies of the Scorner Not that we should imagine the Righteous Man here mentioned to be as his Enemies were before described a Person delighting in mischief that hath pleasure and satisfaction in anothers Ruin that will rejoyce at his Neighbours downfal though it contribute nothing to his own rise though he received no benefit or advantage thereby Whatsoever the Jews might pretend to this by that Commission God himself had given them for the total destruction of his Enemies therein mentioned I am sure the Gospel allows no such Spirit no such revengeful Temper no Fire from Heaven to fall upon the obstinate and ungrateful Samaritans therefore in the next words are contained the Reasons of this Joy 1. That there is a Reward for the Righteous that there is a Fruit of Righteousness that it is an advantage and security to be Good and Vertuous that though such Persons be oppressed for a time yet they shall not totally be suppressed but their Enemies shall fall before them by hidden and unaccountable Methods of God's Providence be consumed as Waters which run continually as a Snail which melteth and be suddenly snatched away as with a Whirlwind There will a time come when it shall appear to all Men that the Judge of the whole World shall do Righteously Therefore 2. It is said Verily he is a God that judgeth in the Earth we may safely trust in him It is a great temptation to question Providence when we see the wicked prosper and all things in security about them neither are they plagued like other men On the contrary Just and Innocent persons are plagued all the day long and chastened every morning It is natural to infer as the Psalmist did Psal 73.13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocency To what purpose is it that I have taken such pains to serve God that I have abandoned my own inclination to promote his Honour that I have obey'd him with so great difficulty Nay the greatest cause of my trouble hath arisen from a strict adhering to his Commandments in that I have not swerved from his Precepts or gone on in a way of wickedness and perverseness as others have done How comes it to pass that I am thus destitute and forlorn The more I endeavour to please God the harder measure I meet with in the World This is very difficult to flesh and bloud and but few can attain the meaning of it The Righteous himself is ready to stumble and his feet to slip when he perceives such unequal distribution of Favours here below and can hardly recover himself till he go into the Sanctuary of God and there understand the end of these Men Verse 18 19 20. of the fore-quoted Psalm Surely thou didst set them in slippery places thou castest them down into destruction How are they brought into desolation as in a moment they are utterly consumed with terrors As a dream when one awaketh so O Lord when thou awakest thou shalt despise their image This the Poet excellently well expresseth Claudian when he describeth himself doubtful whether there were a Supream Justice as long as Ruffinus a wicked and lewd person was in such prosperity But when he saw his overthrow and was acquainted with his Destruction Abstulit hos tandem Ruffini poena tumultus Absolvitque Deos It takes off the charge of Injustice from Divine Providence and makes the Wicked and Profane with horror and amazement acknowledge that there is a God that judgeth in the Earth that is able to exalt his Servants and be fully avenged of all the implacable Enemies of his Kingdom An easie Application will make out the Parallel I at first intended We have almost every where in the Psalms Prayers against and Thanksgivings for preservation from attempts of this nature David's Enemies were numerous whole Congregations of them and have not ours been so too The best Men have been subject to most Trials the maintenance of the true Religion is a great eye-sore to all its Opposers it causes Mutinies Seditions and Rebellions by those who cannot endure the least sence of Duty David was a Vertuous and Pious Man not only God's Deputy but his Friend too a great Souldier and a gracious Prince and wanted no accomplishment to oblige his Subjects to obedience and respect Yet for all this did he find many Adversaries his troubles were innumerable both from the Enemies of Religion and the ambition of his own Family And have not our Kings been persecuted on every hand ever since the Reformation only because they have been Defenders of the truly Ancient Catholick and Apostolick Faith This makes both Papists and Fanaticks conspire their overthrow and all the mad Sects and Opinions in the World however disagreeing in other things yet concenter in this one Tenent to raise all the Tumults and Disorders they can in a well-setled Commonwealth and endeavour to break down the Hedge that all the Beasts of the Forest might enter in and destroy the Vineyard This is that which only galls them all other pretences are but frivolous and feigned and till this grievance be removed they will never leave Petitioning or Remonstrating against the miscarriages of the Government Give me leave to observe but one thing more before I conclude this point The Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England was that which the Papists this day so wickedly endeavoured to overthrow They knew we alone were able substantially and rationally to oppose them by the Truth and Antiquity of what we maintain Doctrines as Ancient as our Saviour and his Apostles the Government confessedly prevailing in the Church since the first founding of it till some pretences contrary to it were started in the last Age These subtle contrivers of mischief knew all other Structures would fall and like Babels end in the